Bute nurse graduates as ‘Dementia Champion’

Mandy McMillan (pictured far right) has become one of NHS Highland's Dementia Champions.

Karen Keith

A Bute staff nurse has become a ‘Dementia Champion’ with NHS Highland, joining the ranks of 400 others in Scotland.

Mandy McMillan was one of ten employees from NHS Highland honoured at the National Conference and Graduation Event held at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh recently.

These front-line workers will help to ensure that people with dementia get the care and support they need when admitted to hospital. Each of the champions is committed to bringing about improvements in the experiences and outcomes of care and treatment for people with dementia.

Ruth Mantle, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Nurse Consultant for NHS Highland, supports those in training to be champions and once they have graduated.

She said: “This is the third group from Highland who have graduated. They are from a number of different disciplines including nurses, occupational therapists and healthcare assistants and the majority work in a general hospital setting.

“There are an estimated 4,000 people in the Highlands who have dementia, and the number is expected to double in the next 25 years. A significant number of these people will find themselves in hospital, perhaps as a result of being injured in a fall.

“We realise that admission into hospital can be a stressful experience for some people, particularly if they have dementia, and we need to work closely with them, their families and staff to ensure that they are treated with dignity and that their independence and wishes are respected. The Dementia Champions play a key role in supporting NHS Highland to achieve this.”